Beyond ‘us’ versus ‘them’: Why and how suppliers and corporate teams should partner for better results

Like many other corporate functions, the corporate real estate and facilities operations (collectively referred to as ‘CRE’) department relies heavily on external suppliers to provide critical services. In CRE, however, the relationships between corporate ‘clients’ and their outside consultants and vendors seem unusually tense and are often adversarial. To some extent, this is a result of the different mindsets and cultures that exist on different sides of the table. In the author's experience, this divide is entirely unnecessary and a serious impediment to the industry as a whole. Because the opportunities for collaboration are many and the need for strategic alignment with the business is so great, CRE leaders of all types must establish stronger, mutually beneficial relationships with their suppliers and consultants. This paper outlines the way forward. Specifically, it explores the many different areas for engagement and collaboration, showing how increased engagement and collaboration can lead to improved performance.